


But Not Victorious

by Mireille



Category: Buffy the Vampire Slayer
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2004-07-28
Updated: 2004-07-28
Packaged: 2018-08-16 11:32:24
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 499
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8100829
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Mireille/pseuds/Mireille
Summary: Giles, after "Checkpoint."





	

The sense of triumph didn't last very long.

Once they'd got all the information about Glory that the Council had to offer, and Travers and his flunkies had left for the airport, once the children had all left the shop and Anya was busy taking inventory, once he had time to think, Giles didn't feel particularly victorious. Proud of Buffy, yes. She'd stood up to the Council; she'd made them understand--at least for the moment, though he wondered how fickle their memories would be once they were back in England--that the Council only existed because of the Slayer. She'd restored the connection between Council and Slayer, but on her terms, for the first time in history. 

But not victorious. 

He was, once again, a member of the Watchers' Council. Training and guiding Buffy was once again his official duty, and he once again had access to the resources the Council could provide. He'd even been promised retroactive pay for the nearly two years he'd been here unofficially. It would be as though he had never been fired. 

Except that he'd remember, and the Council would remember, that Rupert Giles had been let go in disgrace. He couldn't be sorry for what he had done--his only regret was that Buffy had had to endure the Cruciamentum at all--but he could have handled it differently. There had to have been a way to get them both through the test without harming Buffy or disgracing himself. 

And he would remember, and the Council would remember, that the only reason Rupert Giles was a Watcher again was that his Slayer had spoken up for him, had coerced Travers into accepting him back into the fold. All his protests and appeals, that first year, the ones he'd made without telling Buffy he was doing it--he let her believe that he was content with the Council's decision--had come to nothing, but Buffy had been able to make Travers take him back. 

He'd always understood, had always accepted, that no matter how protective he felt toward Buffy, much of the time, he would have to allow Buffy to protect him. She was the Slayer, after all, and it would be ridiculous for him to allow his ego to be threatened by the fact that such a small girl could prevail when he would be injured or killed. He was a reasonable man, a logical man, and he could bear that without qualms.

But this was different. This was a matter of strategy, of negotiation, of intelligence. Those were supposed to be his strengths; that was supposed to be what she needed him for. 

Instead, though, it seemed that _he_ needed _her_ for that. 

Being fired for caring about his Slayer had been one thing--after all, while he regretted the outcome, he refused to be ashamed of his paternal affection for Buffy. But after this, he didn't think he would ever be able to show his face in London again.


End file.
